Should Slings Be Inspected Before Each Use?
I was watching a tv program about construction sites a while back. I heard them talking about slings that they use and their safety. I have never been to a construction site before, and I was curious about the slings they mentioned, which made me wonder; should slings be inspected before each use?
Slings have to be visually inspected before each use to ensure the sling’s safety, quality, and effectiveness. Slings should also be inspected at certain intervals by a professional. There are certain factors to remember, like what type of sling to use according to the policies in the workplace.
I decided to do more research about slings to see what the experts have to say about the inspections of slings, and if you want to see what I found, I suggest that you keep reading. I will share what I learned on this topic in the rest of the article.
Must Slings Be Inspected Before Each Use?
All slings have to be inspected by a knowledgeable person each time before they will be used in and around the workplace. Slings have to be inspected and found to be in line with safety procedures before they can be used to ensure the people’s safety. Unwanted occurrences like injuries or property damages are not needed in the workplace.
Slings have to be made according to certain specifications and at a certain strength to ensure that the sling will be capable of handling the workload that you will use it for. The end-user must inspect the sling to ensure that there isn’t any visible damage and that it will be safe for the person using it.
The end-user must inspect the slings before each use to highlight the possibility of any failure of the equipment to prevent accidents from occurring in the workplace, and to achieve this, the people handling and using the sling must make sure they do not abuse the sling or any other lifting equipment for that matter.
What Is The Correct Way of Inspecting Slings?
There are certain regulations to consider and follow when inspecting slings. The sling has to be clean each time before it is used. The identification tag also has to be checked. According to safety experts, it is always advisable that when checking the sling on inspection, you will be hanging the sling up under a well-lit area.
You have to remove all the twists in the sling and ensure that the sling’s measurement, type, and capacity are correct according to what you will use them for. You must check the overall condition of the sling to ensure that it is fit for use, and you can record the findings on the checksheet.
If anything questionable is found on the sling, then it needs to be withdrawn from service. Each organization will have a way to deal with slings that have been withdrawn, and the process is drawn up according to the organization’s policies and procedures.
When Is A Sling Considered Unsafe?
When using a fiber sling, if there is a build-up of powder-like sawdust on the inside of the fiber rope, it is a sign of excessive internal wear on the sling and indicates that the sling is unsafe to be used. Scratch over the fibers of the sling, and if the fibers come apart easily, the sling has suffered a form of chemical damage and must be removed from service.
The Safety officer inspecting the sling must ensure that it doesn’t have excessive wear on it by checking for signs of stretching or binding or any nicks, cuts, or cracks on the sling. When a sling becomes stretched to the point that it is 3 percent longer than when it was new, it is considered unsafe and must be discarded.
When binding takes place to the extent that the sling has become deformed or individual links on the sling cannot move within each other freely, the sling is also unsafe. Ensure that you inspect the sling according to the criteria on the checksheet. If anything is not according to the checksheet, the sling is unsafe.
Critical Items To Inspect on Slings?
When it comes to the safety of slings in the workplace, it is always important to follow the safety regulations set according to statutes to ensure the safety of the employees.
Examples Of Critical Inspection Items Regarding Slings
- Slings that are damaged or defective in any way must not be used.
- The weight that the sling will be carrying must not exceed the weight capacity that the sling is intended to carry.
- The safety officer must foresee that the sling is securely attached to the load before the operation can begin.
- The end-user must inspect the sling before any use to ensure that it is padded or protected from the sharp edges of the load that it will be carrying.
- That all employees are safe, working in the area surrounding the section where goods are about to be lifted. The load is secured, and employees are kept clear of loads to be lifted.
- The hand or fingers are also not allowed to be anywhere near the sling or the load attached to the sling when the sling is being tightened around the load.
- Slings must be removed from use if there are cracks in their hooks or connectors.
- The misuse or abuse of slings will cause the slings to fail long before any other reason becomes an issue. Abuse can lead to serious structural damage.
- Workers involved with hoisting and rigging must exercise care when selecting and using the equipment. The end-user must inspect the slings before each time they are used to ensure the overall effectiveness of the sling.
- Slings must not be kinked or knotted.
- You must keep suspended loads clear of all obstructions.
- Chains and wire rope slings must not be shortened by knots or bolts or by any other makeshift devices.
Conclusion
It is important that a safety officer thoroughly inspects any sling used in the operations of any workplace before using or rigging any load. Slings have to be inspected at regular intervals by professionals to make sure that it is still safe.
If during the inspection it is found that there are signs that the sling is worn or that the sling cannot carry the workload, you must remove it from service immediately.
